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Saturday, 31 May 2014

Our member of the month for May is Jackie of StitchMikki.
Congratulations Jackie!

Jackie is a very talented textile artist. As you can see from her profile page on Etsy, her work is wonderful; interesting and varied.

Here is a short bio in her own words:

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We are an English family living in beautiful British Columbia. Before emigrating from the UK we also lived on The Isle of Man for 5 years, a rather extraordinary place.

I have always been creative ... I was knitting and sewing even when I was at primary school and have worked my way through a stream of hobbies ... cross stitch, oil painting, tatting, knitting etc. While we lived on the Isle of Man I had the opportunity to take a visual arts diploma as a part time student. It gave this mother of 3 small children a much needed creative outlet and really encouraged me to experiment with different media and that is where I really started playing around with textiles.

When we first came to Canada I participated in the local craft show circuit (including "Art in the Park" on Canada Day) for a while selling my cards and also handmade beaded purses. I was invited to join a local cooperative and so became a member of The Kamloops Courthouse Gallery for several years.

Last year we took the big step of building our own house. I took temporary leave from the gallery as I knew this would be a time consuming venture. I still wanted to have that 'creative outlet' though and Etsy has filled that gap for the last year and a half.

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Emily has been onboard with our shop since January last year ... I would not have been able to get going without her help as I couldn't even decide upon the name on my own ... let alone upload a banner!

Emily is currently an art student and has a particular interest in all things Japanese. She is hoping to eventually go to Japan and has been learning Japanese in preparation. The art she produces most is in the Anime style.... her drawings are very cute.

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So ... life as an Expat ... it has it's 'ups and downs'... even in a country which speaks the same language the cultural differences can be enormous. But living here we have had some incredible experiences and that is what I remind myself when I have a bad day - here is my list of the best things to do in Western Canada (from personal experience):-

Jackie

Go skiing or boarding in deep powder snow with the sun shining;
Camp by a lake with a salmon or AAA steak cooking over the fire and watch the sun set with a glass of wine in hand;
Explore the amazing wilderness and see bears, deer, wolves, moose, coyotes, bald eagles and osprey in the wild- very exciting - if a bit scary! - you can also go whale watching;
Go canoeing on a lake or paddle down river;
Go whitewater rafting if you are a bit more adventurous;
Relax in a hot spring pool - there is one called Ainsworth Hot Springs where you even go into a cave.
Sail on a BC ferry - sit on deck, soak in the scenery and enjoy the wildlife;
Visit Dinosaur Provincial Park and see fossils still in the ground;
Ride the 'Peak to Peak' at Whistler - over a 1000 feet off the ground and quite possibly the most amazing thing I have ever done!;
Attend an outdoor blues festival;
Tour wineries in The Okanagan;
In Vancouver visit the craft shops on Granville Island or hire bikes and cycle round the seawall in Stanley Park where there is also a fantastic aquarium.
Have a cream tea in Victoria.

You may have noticed a bit of a recurring theme with the food and drink there!

I have been trying to get more 'onboard' with the social media of late.
I LOVE instagram and have started using that to show pictures of work in progress. The other social media I do less of.

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Etsy Expats Showcase

About Me

Here we are, miles away from where we started. Some of us have found homes away from home, others are packing bags and filling up boxes before the big move. Others still have gone back to their roots after spells abroad or are just dreaming of starting anew.

The Etsy Expats are a team of talented creative artists, running their shops in countries all over the world, often not their own.

Being an expat, means not always having the luxury of taking things for granted, such as knowing exactly where to go to get your tools - if you even know what they are called - or how to set up a company in a foreign country, or simply have your nieces model your latest jewelry.

Still, living abroad can be mind-opening. Your culture merges with another, your perception shifts and you get to enjoy the best of both worlds – the old one when you visit and the new one when you take advantage of being the guest. Undoubtedly the influences of your new milieu will not only enrich your outlook on life, but also stimulate your creative genius. The fact that many members of the Etsy Expats team have opened their Etsy shops AFTER becoming expats attests to that.